Colegio San Carlos
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Colegio San Carlos is an all-male, private, bilingual (English and Spanish) school in Bogotá, Colombia. The school has been recognized as one of the sources of many national leaders. The school works under the auspice of the local Roman Catholic
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
Monasterio de Tibatí, and the Assumption Abbey in
Richardton, North Dakota Richardton is a city in Stark County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 692 at the 2020 census. Richardton was founded in 1883. It is part of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area. Richardton is home to Assumption Abbey, ...
, United States. It enrolls 1,400 students in grades transition through 11th grade which is equivalent to 1st through 12th grades or a combined primary and secondary education in the United States. San Carlos has welcomed students from all creeds and religions: it is not mandatory to be a Catholic to be a San Carlos student. The school has also welcomed people from all walks of life and nationalities, since its inception. However, an IQ test and other intelligence and dexterity examinations are required for students' enrollment in the school. San Carlos is named after Saint
Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat ...
and its motto, ''Ora et Labora'' (Pray and Work), is based on the teachings of
Saint Benedict Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orient ...
.


History

In April 1960, Abbot Ignatius Hunkler received an invitation from Colombian Archbishop Luis Concha Córdoba to establish a boys school in Bogotá. The Abbot in turn invited him to Assumption Abbey in
Richardton, North Dakota Richardton is a city in Stark County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 692 at the 2020 census. Richardton was founded in 1883. It is part of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area. Richardton is home to Assumption Abbey, ...
, in order to present this proposal to the monastic community. He went there, and the monks agreed to accept the task. As a result, monks Lawrence Wagner O.S.B., Frederic Mundt O.S.B., Anselm Ruelle O.S.B. and Adrian Mundt O.S.B., were sent to
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
in June to learn Spanish. They arrived in Bogotá on August 6, 1960, the same day the city was celebrating its foundation -(it was founded in 1538). They immediately began preparations to run the school. Colegio San Carlos officially opened its doors on February 4, 1961. Since its inception in the 1960s, the school has been educating future scientists, politicians, doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, architects and many others to be leaders in their professions and their communities. The school's most important principals have been Fr. Sebastian Schmidt O.S.B. (1934-2017) who was rector only for a few years, but remained a strong presence throughout the history of the school as a teacher, staff member and sports coach, and Fr. Francis Wehri O.S.B. who by mid-1966 replaced Schmidt. Wehri, also born in 1934, was in charge of leading the school for 49 continuous years. A dedicated musician (proficient in piano and organ), he arrived in Colombia with little knowledge of Spanish, and took the office of rector at 36 years of age. He soon managed to become a permanent reference for excellence in educational standards and academic guidance on a national level. After many years in this tenure he was awarded Colombian honorary citizenship by president Juan Manuel Santos, and in 2011 also received the country's highest distinction: The Cruz de Boyacá. After a short period of illness, Wehri resigned his post as rector, but decided to stay in Colombia and continue residing at the School's monastery. He died in Bogotá on July 30, 2017, and was replaced two years before his death by secular and current rector Juan Fernando Corral Strassman, a 1970s alumnus.


Academic performance

Colegio San Carlos is highly recognized in Colombia for consistently directly placing some 15% of its graduates in universities throughout the world. Some of the prestigious schools that San Carlistas have attended directly after graduation include: MIT, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Cornell University, UCLA, UC Merced, Georgetown University, Lehigh University, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Brown University, RISD, University of Michigan, Cambridge University, Oxford University, Architectural Association School of Architecture and the London School of Economics. Many San Carlos graduates who study in Colombian universities later apply for postgraduate studies abroad. Even though the school has not adopted any international teaching system such as the AP or IB, its high-profile compulsory curriculum ensures a high-quality, fully bilingual, homogeneous education for its pupils. All graduating students must take the ICFES national standardized exam. Students wishing to study abroad are encouraged to sit for standardized tests such as the SAT or the ACT. In 2011 the school celebrated its 50th anniversary. At the time, 3,404 students had officially graduated. Colegio San Carlos has consistently ranked 1st among the ten most important schools in Colombia, and has earned notoriety in Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics performance on a national and international level.


Notable alumni

Includes year of graduation or time spent in the school. Sorted alphabetically by last name: *
Andrés Pastrana Arango Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 17 August 1954) is a Colombian politician who was the 30th President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002, following in the footsteps of his father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, who was president from 1970 to 1974. Early ...
, 1972 - former Mayor of Bogotá, former President of Colombia (1998–2002), former
Ambassador of Colombia to the United States The ambassador of Colombia to the United States is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the United States of America, accredited as Dual accreditation, Concurrent Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic R ...
, and son of
Misael Pastrana Borrero Misael Eduardo Pastrana Borrero (14 November 1923 – 21 August 1997) was a Colombian politician and lawyer who served as the 23rd President of Colombia from 1970 to 1974. He was also the father of the 30th President Andrés Pastrana Arango. ...
(also former President of Colombia from 1970 to 1974) *
Andrés Cabas Andrés Mauricio Cabas Rosales (born October 7, 1976) known worldwide as Cabas, is a Colombian musician. He mixes pop, latin rock and local Colombian styles to create its own musical style. Biography Andrés Cabas was born on October 7, 1977 in B ...
, 1995 - musician, singer *
Francisco Santos Calderón Francisco Santos Calderón (born 14 August 1961), also known as Pacho Santos, is a Colombian politician and journalist. Santos was elected as Álvaro Uribe's running mate and became Vice President in 2002. Santos was re-elected in 2006 for a se ...
, 1979 - former Vice-President of Colombia (2002–2010 - during
Álvaro Uribe Vélez Álvaro (, , ) is a Spanish, Galician and Portuguese male given name and surname (see Spanish naming customs) of Visigothic origin. Some claim it may be related to the Old Norse name Alfarr, formed of the elements ''alf'' "elf" and ''arr'' "warrio ...
's presidency). Current
Ambassador of Colombia to the United States The ambassador of Colombia to the United States is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the United States of America, accredited as Dual accreditation, Concurrent Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic R ...
*
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. An economist by profession and a journalist by trade ...
, former
President of Colombia The president of Colombia ( es, Presidente de Colombia), officially known as the president of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Presidente de la República de Colombia) or president of the nation ( es, Presidente de la Nacion) is the head of stat ...
(2010-2018), recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize,
Minister of National Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
during Uribe's presidency. Santos studied at San Carlos until 9th grade and completed high school studies while serving for the Colombian Navy in the city of Cartagena * Mateo Camargo, 1996 - musician, guitarist of
Madina Lake Madina Lake is an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 2005. The band released their debut album, '' From Them, Through Us, to You'', through Roadrunner Records on March 27, 2007. Madina Lake won Best Inter ...
*
Andrés Cepeda Andrés Cepeda Cediel (born July 7, 1973) is a popular Colombian singer-songwriter. He was born in Bogotá, the youngest of five children. He displayed an inclination towards music from an early age, studying piano since the age of 5. He compose ...
, musician, singer (studied at San Carlos until 6th grade) * Miguel Gómez, 1992 - New York based photographer, visual artist and photography lecturer *
Gabriel Silva Luján Gabriel Silva Luján (born 5 October 1957) is a Colombian diplomat and political scientist who served as the 33rd and 27th Ambassador of Colombia to the United States. He has also served as Ministry of National Defense (Colombia), Minister of N ...
, 1976 - former
Ambassador of Colombia to the United States The ambassador of Colombia to the United States is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the United States of America, accredited as Dual accreditation, Concurrent Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic R ...
, former
Minister of National Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
, and general manager of the
National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, ( es, link=no, Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia), abbreviated as Colombian Coffee Growers Federation or Fedecafé, is a non-profit business organization, popularly known for its ...
* Luis Alberto Moreno, 1971 - former
Ambassador of Colombia to the United States The ambassador of Colombia to the United States is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the United States of America, accredited as Dual accreditation, Concurrent Non-Resident Ambassador to the Islamic R ...
under Andrés Pastrana's presidency, former President of the Instituto de Fomento Industrial. Current President of the Inter-American Development Bank where he has served since 2005 * Juan
Sebastián Muñoz Juan Sebastián Muñoz (born 4 January 1993) is a Colombian professional golfer. He played predominantly on the PGA Tour, where he had one tournament victory, the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2019, prior to joining LIV Golf in 2023. Career ...
, 2011 - professional golfer * Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera, 1975 - journalist, diplomat, former ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom * Stefano Quintarelli, 1981 - Italian congressman, and president o
Agencia Digital Italiana
* Carlos Serrano, 1981 - musician in the Baroque and Classical Genres, recorder player and founder of Música Ficta *
Juan Pablo Shuk Juan Pablo Shuk Aparicio ( hu, Shuk Aparicio János Pál; born 7 November 1965) is a Colombian actor who lives and works in Colombia and Spain. He is married to Ana de la Lastra. He is of Hungarian descent from his father's side, he mentions h ...
, 1984 - television and film actor in Colombia, currently based in Spain


Sports

Colegio San Carlos has a rich history of participation in competitions and winning sports championships especially in basketball, soccer, volleyball and track and field. The school is an active founding member of the UNCOLI Association (Union of International Schools in Bogotá), which currently has 27 participating associates. Fr. Sebastian Schmidt was on the board of UNCOLI from the start, alongside Howard Paul from Colegio Nueva Granada. San Carlos students are encouraged to participate in athletics from a young age. Historical sports rivalries have been strong between San Carlos and both Colegio Nueva Granada, Gimnasio Campestre, and Liceo Francés. Competitive tournaments with other UNCOLI schools are available in the following age categories: * Mayores (grades 11 and 10) * Juvenil (grades 9 and 8) * Infantil (grades 7 and 6) * Pre-Infantil (grades 5 and 4) * Benjamines (grade 3, non-sanctioned) The school is equipped with five full-sized soccer fields, eight outdoor basketball courts, five outdoor volleyball courts, a 400 m outdoor track and two multi-purpose indoor gyms used for basketball and volleyball competitions. In soccer, basketball and volleyball, the school has won over more than 250 titles in its history, making it the most successful school in the UNCOLI tournament's history.


References


External links

*
Assumption Abbey Richardton, North DakotaCSC Alumni AssociationSACMUN (San Carlos Model United Nations)
{{portalbar, Schools Schools in Bogotá Benedictine schools Educational institutions established in 1960 1960 establishments in Colombia International schools in Colombia International schools in Bogotá American international schools in Colombia